


That's not how I/O towers work

by fakebodies



Category: Tron (1982)
Genre: Gen, Ram comes to the User world, and Flynn has a TON of explaining to do, this is tied for the most self indulgent fic ive ever written lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7466964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fakebodies/pseuds/fakebodies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Flynn?" Ram frowns, reaching for his disk.</p><p>"Roy?" say the woman and the one who looks like Tron.</p><p>"Shit." Flynn groans from the back. "Shit."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Shit."

There were a few things Ram knew for certain. One, that his armor absolutely shouldn't feel this way. Two, that he'd never seen this place in all of his existence. Three, that I/O towers _definitely_ weren't supposed to work like that. He looks around, standing up from the strange terminal. Everything is so bright, and there's no currents, just strange white structures. Ram turns when he hears footsteps, surprised to see the three approaching figures.

"Flynn?" Ram frowns, reaching for his disk.

 _"Roy?"_ say the woman and the one who looks like Tron.

"Shit." Flynn groans from the back. "Shit."

"Flynn, that's not how-"

"Kevin Flynn, what have you been doing with-"

"What kind of costume is-"

"Hey, hey, cool it with the questions!" Flynn shoulders past the other two Users. "Ram, do you know what happened?"

"I went to an I/O tower to speak with User RKleinberg and I ended up here. It was in a different sector but it should've functioned normally, Tron said there was nothing wrong with it."

" _Tron?_ "

"Leave it, Alan"

Ram's mouth falls open at the name. "AlanOne? Tron's User?"

"I wrote Tron, sure, it's a security program." Alan nods, frowning slightly. Ram beams, looking from Flynn to the other User.

"Tron's my friend! Flynn, AlanOne should meet Tron!"

"'Meet Tron?'"

"Seriously, Alan, I'll explain later-"

"Does this mean I could meet User RKleinberg?"

"Ram, come on, let's worry about that-"

"Kevin, I still want to know just what you've been doing with my laser." the woman cuts in. "Along with plenty of other things. Just what's going on here?"

"Seriously you two, it's no big-"

"Hey, where have you guys been?" asks a new voice. Ram's eyes go wide and Flynn hides his face in his hand.

"Shit."

* * *

 

Ram drops to one knee, head bowed as his User steps past the two others. Roy gives Flynn a bewildered look before watching the program.

"Uh, Flynn, he...he looks like me."

"Sure does."

"What's going on here?"

"Roy, meet Ram."

" _Ram?_ "  Roy's incredulous look is back. "You mean my actuarial program?"

"The one and only." Flynn nods, gesturing to the still kneeling program. "Ram, you can probably get up."

Ram does, finally meeting Roy's eyes. He breaks into a wide grin before bowing his head again. "User RKleinberg, it's an honor to stand before you."

"I- You- I mean, it's an honor to have you here." Roy smiles. "Why don't you come with me, I'd like to ask you some things."

"Of course! I'd be-"

"Roy, his clothes. He's not exactly going to blend in." Alan points out, gesturing at the blue and white armor.

"He looks exactly like you, too." the woman adds.

Roy frowns, nodding. "How are we going to handle this?"

They all look at Flynn, who throws his hands up. "Hey, I didn't bring him here. I didn't even know the laser _could_ bring a program out."

"We could ask Tron, he'd know what to do." Ram offers.

"Ram, no, we are not asking Tron-"

"You know Alan's program?"

"Of course! He and I are very good friends. I went with when he and Flynn broke out to stop the MCP!"

"Broke out of where, exactly?" Alan frowns.

"Dude, please, ask Tron yourself next time you're updating him."

"'Ask him myself?'"

"Sure Alan, I talked with Ram all the time." Roy shrugs.

"He did!"

"Ram, you're not helping."

" _Boys._ " the woman sighs. "Nothing is ever going to get done if you keep going in circles."

"Lora-"

"Flynn, before you say _anything_ else, you're going to tell us exactly how this all started."

"So, remember when we broke into Encom?"

 


	2. "Damn it."

If there was one thing Tron knew for certain, it was that programs didn't just disappear. Ram had entered an I/O tower and just hadn't come back out, which was absolutely not how things worked. You entered an I/O tower, you spoke with your User, and you came back out to continue your functions. This sector was safe, Tron also knew that. Ram shouldn't have been derezzed, especially not while speaking to his User.

Tron searches for the actuarial program, growing more concerned as no sign of the smaller program turns up. Even Yori is unsure of what could've happened. Dumont agrees that no program would ever be harmed in an I/O tower, but he also knows no mere update would take so long. Tron is starting to worry that Ram's been deleted, returning to the I/O tower Ram had entered. If there aren't any clues inside he can at least ask his User for help.

The inside of the tower is empty, so Tron steels himself and steps past, lifting his disk above his head.

* * *

"So that's pretty much it." Flynn shrugs.

"You've been using my laser to access a computer world, where all of our programs are sentient beings using other code for their own purposes?"

"Pretty much."

"Well, not really for our own purposes." Ram shakes his head. "No code is used against it's function. Recognizers are vehicles for capture and surveillance, which is how they're supposed to function. Of course, they're not used very often anymore."

"Recognizers? As in, the video game enemy?" Alan looks over at Flynn, arms crossed.

"Hey, I couldn't believe it at first either." Flynn shrugs.

"Recognizers weren't really used in games." Ram frowns. "Didn't you know that?"

"Well, no, video games are different for us. We play them for fun."

"Fun? Flynn, you weren't there for long but you know what it was like, having to derezz other programs! Tron and I- we'd been in there so long, and Sark- What do you mean _fun?_ " Ram scowls. "Every cycle was harder, each time we left the cells there was no guarantee we'd come back, we were cut off from our Users! Innocent programs were killed! Even if you don't care about the others, Tron was made to play until he nearly derezzed on his feet! Now you're telling me it's a...a leisure sport for you?"

"Ram, take it easy-"

"Take it easy? Flynn, I was taken from my home, I was never able to truly rest, we were never allowed more energy than necessary to keep us on our feet, it was-" Ram stops when he feels a hand on his arm, glancing over at the face of his User.

"Relax, Ram. None of us knew. Until now, we all thought you were just lines of code. We didn't know video games were traumatic for you."

"I'm sorry, RKleinberg." Ram takes a deep breath. "I assumed Flynn would have more respect for his friends. For Tron."

"Flynn doesn't think, Ram." Lora smiles gently. "He never has, honestly."

"Hey!" Flynn gives her a dirty look as Ram chuckles.

"True."

"C'mon man, that's not fair." Flynn crosses his arms, turning away.

"I'd say it's-" Alan starts, pausing when the laser starts to make noise.

"Flynn, what's going on?" Lora frowns.

"Why do you think I know?"

"You _are_ the one who's been disappearing into a computer world."

"That doesn't mean I know how it all works!"

"Flynn, you are just-"

"Hi Tron!"

" _Damn it._ "

 


	3. "Tron, this is User RKleinberg."

"Ram?"

"Tron?"

"AlanOne?"

"Rocky!"

Lora smacks Flynn's shoulder as he dissolves into laughter. Alan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What _are_ we going to do about this?"

"Send them back, I guess." Flynn shrugs.

"Will that work? Programs don't have matter but somehow they're here, we don't know if sending them back will damage anything." Lora frowns.

"I have work to do." Tron looks around the small room.

"So do I, Flynn. _Some_ of us have responsibilities."

"I have those!"

"Sure, Mr. 'I don't do anything here and then run away to computer fun-land.'"

"Tron, tell him I have responsibilities!"

"You check in periodically. The system can function on its own whether or not you do this."

"Exactly- wait, hang on-"

"Flynn, don't start." Lora shares a smug look with Alan while Flynn continues to splutter about how important his work is. Ram takes the opportunity to pull Tron out of the chair and over to Roy.

"Tron, this is User RKleinberg." Ram smiles.

"It's an honor." Tron nods.

"Please, the honor really is all mine. Ram was telling me a little about you while those three argued about how to handle this."

"I have to agree with Yori's User, we don't know how this will affect our coding." Tron frowns slightly.

"It might not affect it at all." Ram shrugs. "Or we might have a similar experience to Flynn's."

"We'd have User control?"

"Not exactly, our coding is still the base. We just might be able to shape things a little. Like how Flynn made the broken Recognizer fly- my guess is we won't be able to create things from scratch, but we'll probably be able to manipulate what's already there."

Tron nods. "You might be right. It would certainly make things interesting upon return."

"When are things _not_ interesting with Flynn involved?" Ram scoffs, grinning. Tron smiles back, nodding before scanning their surroundings.

"These structures are..."

"Interesting, right?"

"Exactly." Tron nods.

They stand around and chat for a while longer, Roy offering to go make some popcorn which earns him a wide grin from Ram and a confused look from Tron. Eventually Alan leaves Lora and Flynn to figure out a solution, coming over to talk with his own program. They all share the popcorn once Roy returns, asking questions of each other. Tron relaxes enough around the Users to smile, telling AlanOne and RKleinberg about how they'd escaped from the MCP, how Ram had derezzed in a crash and how Flynn had jumped into the MCP to allow Tron the gap to take out the warped program.

"I remember that!" Roy's eyes go wide. " Ram was kind of all over, I had to use a backup to get everything into order."

"I knew you could do it." Alan smiles at his program.

"I was sure I was going to derezz before Flynn jumped. He was very heroic."

"Don't let him hear you say that." Alan rolls his eyes. Flynn slings his arm around Tron's shoulder, grinning.

"Too late for that. How're you guys getting on?"

"Great! My User made popcorn for us to try."

"Really? That's great, man, really fantastic." Flynn nods. "Lora thinks she can get you two home in one piece."

"Good." Tron nods. "I'm sure Yori is worried by now, we've been here too long."

"Sorry I up and disappeared on you, I don't know what happened." Ram smiles sheepishly.

"It's not your fault, Ram. I'm not sure what happened either."

"You probably just used the one I come in from, no big deal." Flynn shrugs. Tron shakes his head as Alan frowns at him.

"Flynn, why didn't you say that before?"

"Huh? Didn't I?"

"No. No, you didn't."

"My bad."


	4. "So, what did you think of the User world?"

As Tron prepares to leave, Ram stands to watch with his User. He wishes he'd been able to see the world outside of the strange white beams, but the other's had been right about the confusion it would cause. When it's Ram's turn to sit down in the chair, Roy hugs him goodbye and makes Flynn promise to take him with to visit next time. Ram closes his eyes as the world starts to blur, opening them again when he feels the ground beneath his feet. Sure enough, he's back in the I/O tower. Tron is waiting for him, giving Ram a moment to regain his composure before walking over.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine. You?" Ram asks, adjusting his armor and checking his disk.

"I'm alright."

"So," Ram starts as they exit the building, "what did you think of the User world?"

"It was an interesting experience. I was honored to be able to speak with AlanOne face to face."

"Right? I couldn't believe it when RKleinberg appeared!" Ram beams. "We'll have to see if we really did gain anything from our trip sometime soon."

Tron nods, smiling fondly at the energetic program beside him.

"Oh, and RKleinberg made Flynn promise to bring him here next time! I can't wait to show him around. Do you think Flynn would ever let us go back?"

"Would you want to?"

"I... you know, not really." Ram frowns. "It felt..."

"Strange?"

"Exactly." Ram's smile returns as he nods. "I'm happy staying here. I don't know what I'd do if I got trapped there."

"It wouldn't feel right without you." Tron looks out at the landscape.

Ram grins, nudging Tron's shoulder. "Don't worry, you're stuck with me."

"I'm glad, Ram."


End file.
